Necessary Information to Write a Policy

Writing a homeowners insurance policy requires the input of some very specific and even personal information, all of which is considered vital to the determination of the homeowner's eligibility for acceptance by the carrier and for discounts and other special services.

Some insurance carriers have an input form that a homeowner wanting to buy liability insurance or any other type of insurance can use to begin the search online. Often the first form is a shorter form than will eventually be used, and will ask for less information. Once that is cleared, however, the carrier will want much more detailed information and the applicant will fill out a much more complex homeowners insurance application form.

Required Information

The homeowners insurance application forms will begin by asking for the usual personal information and will ask for more or less the same information generally, though some carriers may focus on different areas at different points in the process. By the end of the application process, the information included will be all or most of that listed below.

The very first pages will require the full name of the applicant, the applicant's address, contact information including telephone number and email address, occupation and current employer. The form will ask whether the house is owned solely or jointly and if so with whom, and it will require information about all parties involved, although, depending upon the ownership structure, it will not necessarily require the same amount of information about each person. It will require employment and banking information, and personal tax information, evidence that taxes were paid on the house, and the applicant's social security number.

The forms may ask for the names of other persons occupying the house, and may also want to know the ages, occupations, and perhaps more.

The applicant will also need to put in the address of the home that is being insured, the size, year of construction of the house and any other structures; the mortgage information, the value of the home, an inventory of its contents and any other valuables, and additions or improvements made and if necessary copies of any local authority construction authorization. An actual floor plan of the house may be requested for keeping on file.

The policy may ask about other property owned by the applicant, including other real estate, motor vehicles, and the like. It will ask who carries these policies, and whether the applicant has intentions of transferring any not carried by the insurance company.

The applicant will be asked about heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, boilers, and natural gas lines if any. It will be necessary for the applicant to provide schematics of electrical systems, and plumbing. Safety and protective features installed in the house such as fire and burglar alarms, dead bolts, sprinkler systems will also need to be noted.

Information will need to be submitted regarding other structures on the premises such as swimming pools, and whether features such as gates, railings and barriers are installed. Detailed information about the maintenance and current condition of the structures will be required, and questions may be asked about plans for improvements to the property. The applicant will have to make clear the intended use of the property, whether it will be a permanent residence because the insurance obligations are different depending upon how many months each year the homeowner will be in residence.

These are some of the most common types of information requested to write a homeowners insurance policy. Much of it is personal information so companies will generally request the bulk of it only for a meeting with an agent.

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